A small space for thinking aloud. Some small thoughts, some big: some fleeting, some held dear.

Friday, January 28, 2011

The end of a new Berlin Wall?

I confess that I don't know a whole lot about the North Africa/ Middle East protests. I'm going to buy some kind of articulate magazine that might fill me in later. But (since when has lack of knowledge stopped me speaking).. this reminds me of those months in 1989-91 where every time we turned on the news the map and the countries had changed. Contagious protest, old leadership threatened, a new day.

When it happened at the end of the Cold War we rightly celebrated an end to oppression, even if we replaced it with another tyranny of greed. I think I am a bit worried that this time we will have half an eye on the economic ramifications if poor people all over the Middle East rise up. The spectre of oil raises its head again.

I don't know how it will shape up but I'm praying for justice and peace. I'm praying as people prayed thirty years ago for bloodless change..